Handwheel



Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,299 c. P. NELLIS HANDWHEEL FiledMay '17 192s Wk Ca 5 (was 46 6 @fizz; his A Drug Patented Get. 26, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

CHAR-LES 1?. NELLIS, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, TO THE INLAND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DAYTON, 01116, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HANDWI-IEEL.

Application filed May 17,

This invention relates to handwheels, es pecially to that type which are used as steering wheels on motor vehicles and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide improved means for rigidly fastening the spider to the rim, which has the advantages of low cost of manufacture, great reliability, in use, and neatncss of appearance.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred forms of embodiment of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a steering wheel built according to this invention, the outlines of the outer ends of the spider arms and the filler blocks being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, a section on line AA of Fig. 1 being shown at the left.

Fig. 3 shows a modification wherein the are shaped recess for the ends of the spider arm and the are shaped recess for the filler block have the same center.

Fig. 4i shows a modification wherein the outer end of the spider arm has no interlocking lateral enlargements.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Numeral 10 designates the rim which ordinarily is made of wood but may be made of any other suitable material having the properties desired for this construction. 11 designates the spider as a whole having the arms 12, which may be either an integral casting or a spider built up of separate spokes of pressed metal, of wood, or of other suitable material.

In Fig. 1, the outer ends 13 of the spider arms are widened out laterally so that when they have been dropped into their correspondingly shaped recesses 14 they will be firi'nly locked therein against radial displacement by reason of the lateral enlargements abutting the side walls of the recesses 14-. Preferably the ends 13 are of circular or arc-shape, of more than a semi-circle in order to provide the lateral enlargements, since in this case the recesses 14: can be cut with a rotating cutter as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. The

1923 Serial No. 639,690.

screws 15 may be provided for more firmly holding the ends 18 tightly in place and against axial displacement of the spider and rim. The recesses 16 of greater plan area than the recesses 1e are cut out immediately above recesses 14 and the filler blocks 17 fitted therein to completely conceal the ends 13 and to finish off the contour of the rim. The filler blocks 17 are preferably glued in place and since they have a considerable area of wood to wood contact at the bottom of recesses 16 they will be held securely glued in place. Preferably the blocks 1? and their corresponding recesses 16 will also have lateral enlargements so that the blocks 17 will be held locked against radial displacement by the walls of recess 16. The recesses 16 are preferably of circular shape having the center of the circle at the point 20 radially outward from the inner periphery of the rim 10. This gives a narrowed opening between recess 16 and the inner periphery of the rim and hence prevents the radial displacement of the filler block 17 toward the center of the wheel. Of course, if desired, the center of the circular recess 16 could be coincident with the center of the recess 14, as shown in Fig. 3. This arrangement permits the cutting of both recesses 1 1 and 16 at one operation by using a rotating cutter having a smaller diameter at the tip corresponding tothe size of recess 14k and a larger diameter thereabove corresponding to the size of recess 16.

In the modification shown in Fig. 1, the end 13 of the spider arm 12 has no interlocking lateral enlargements but in other respects this construction is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

While the forms of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is as follows:

1. In a handwheel, a wood rim having recesses therein, metallic spider arms, means for attaching said arms to said wood rim including laterally enlarged heads on the ends of said arms, said heads fitting within a reduced bottom part of said recesses, and wood filler blocks of greater plan area than said heads filling the upper part of said recesses, said filler blocks and recesses being so shaped as to prevent radial displacement of the blocks.

2. In a handwheel, a rim having recesses therein for the attachment oi spider arms, spider-arms havin outer ends fitting into the bottom of said recesses, and filler blocks filling the upper part of said recesses, said filler blocks and recesses being; so shaped in outline as to prevent radial displacement of the blocks, said filler blocks having a plan area greater than said outer ends of the arms whereby said filler blocks may have their bottom surfaces glued to the rim.

3. in a handwheel, a rim having recesses therein for the attachment of spider arms, spider arms having outer ends fitting into the bottom of said recesses, and filler blocks filling the upper part of said recesses, said filler blocks and the corresponding part of the recesses being or greater plan area than said arm ends and having a plan outline of an arc whose center is radially outward from the inner periphery of the rim.

4. In a handwheel, a rim having recesses therein for the r ception of spider arms, spider arms having laterally enlarged outer ends extending within said recesses and ratherein for the reception of spider arms, a

spider arms having arcuate outer ends extending within said recesses and radially locked therein by the arcuate ends abutting the 'alls of said recesses, and arouate filler blocks filling the exterior part of said recesses, said filler blocks having a greater ra dius than. said arm ends.

6. In a handwheel, a wood rim, a metal spider, said rim having recesses therein for the reception of the outer ends of the spider arms, and areuate wood filler blocks glued to the rim and filling the unfilled portion of said reces. and concealing said arm ends, said filler hloclrs having a plan area greater than the plan area of the inserted )ortion of said arm ends, whereby said filler blocks may have their bottom surfaces glued to the wood rim.

In testimony whereof 1 hereto atfix my signature.

CHARLES P. NELLIS. 

